Bengals' Joe Flacco calls for two NFL rule changes affecting quarterbacks: 'It honestly annoys me'

Cincinnati Bengals veteran quarterback Joe Flacco wants fewer penalties called against defensive players next season and mentioned two specifically this week he would like to see taken out of the NFL's rulebook completely.

There are various iterations of roughing the passer flags, which are reviewed by a replay assistant who has the power to overturn. Quarterbacks have been protected by rule variations in recent years during a crackdown of sorts against late hits or ones the NFL deems "unwarranted by the circumstances of the play."

"I don't think it should be roughing the passer when they land on us," Flacco said this week ahead of the Super Bowl. "I don't think being slapped in the head should be roughing the passer. It honestly annoys me because it affects games in a negative way at random times. They can call it or not call it. It needs to get out of the game. I know CTE is a thing these days and all that, but it's football, we signed up to play it."

To Flacco's point, there's a subjective note within the NFL's rulebook that states, "when in doubt about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactic against the quarterback, the referee should always call roughing the passer."

Specifically under Rule 12, Section 2, Article 11, here's what the league quantifies as roughing outside of hitting a quarterback after a pass is thrown:

1. A rushing defender is prohibited from committing such intimidating and punishing acts as "stuffing" a passer into the ground or unnecessarily wrestling or driving him down after the passer has thrown the ball, even if the rusher makes his initial contact with the passer within the one-step limitation provided for in (a) above. When tackling a passer who is in a defenseless posture (e.g., during or just after throwing a pass), a defensive player must not unnecessarily or violently throw him down or land on top of him with all or most of the defender's weight. Instead, the defensive player must strive to wrap up the passer with the defensive player's arms and not land on the passer with all or most of his body weight.

From a broader sense, Flacco says football has changed considerably over the last decade primarily due to rules protecting players.

"I don't think anybody coming into the league these days is quite as battle-tested as the guys who came in the league 15 years ago," Flacco said. "If you're a good high school recruit, you can kind of ride your way through college and they're going to pick you because you have potential. I think there was less of that 15 years ago.

"I think our generation does benefit from dealing with a little bit of tougher times, just like the generation 20 years before me benefited over us."

If he chooses to play in 2026, Flacco will be entering his 19th season in the NFL. He was traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Bengals in October along with a sixth-round pick for a future fifth-round selection.

The former Super Bowl MVP has thrown for 48,176 yards passing, 272 touchdowns and 172 interceptions over his career. Flacco remains undecided on his plans for next season, saying this week he would evaluate every opportunity that comes his way.